Clasp.



J. P- WHITNEY.

CLASP.

APPLlCATION FILED JUNE 3. 1914- 1,179,256. Patented Am. 11,1916."

Qtbomw JOSEPH P. WHITNEY, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

CLASP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 11, 1916.

Application filed June 3, 1914. Serial No. 842,708.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH P. WHITNEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Denver, in the county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented new and useful Improvements in Clasps, of which the following is a specification.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple and effective clasp particularly adapted for use in connection with jewelry, such as cuff buttons and the like, for holding the jewelry against accidental displacement and loss.

The invention contemplates, among other features, the provision of a clasp which consists of few parts, and which, when used in connection with jewelry, forms a component part thereof in that it permits the attachment of the jewelry to the person as easily as if the clasp were not provided. To this end the clasp is so arranged and constructed that at the moment the jewelry is applied to the clothing the clasp will assume a position to secure the jewelry against removal or displacement.

In the further disclosure of the invention reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, constituting a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cuff link having my device applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken through the shank of the cuff link and the device, showing the manner of applying the same; Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken through the device, showing the manner of mounting the swinging gripping member on the body of the cuff link.

Referring more particularly to the views, I provide a piece of jewelry,-such as a cuff link, 10, and which includes the usual plates 11 connected by a shank 12. On the inner face of the outermost plate there is secured a serrated or toothed jaw 13 which can be soldered or otherwise secured to the plate and projects radially from the point of connection of one end of the shank with the plate. A plurality of spaced ears 14 are formed. with the shank and plate and mounted to swing between the ears is a toothed or serrated member 15, the pivotal connection of the member 15 with the ears being formed by a suitable rivet or pin 16. Around this rivet or pin 16 is coiled the inner end of a spring 17 having its outer end engaging and connecting with a pin or projection 18 on the free end of the member 15 whereby the spring will lie close and fiat against the member to act upon the member and tend to swing the free end of the member toward the shank so that the member will lie in parallel relation to the jaw 13 and clamp the material of a garment between the jaw and member.

In the application of the cuff link to a cuff 19 the member 15 is first swung upwardly against the shank and the link is then applied to the cuff 19. It will be seen that the member 15 will not interfere with the application of the cuff link to the cuff when it is arranged to lie against the shank which connects the plates forming the cuff link, and when the cuff link has been applied as mentioned the member 15 is released, thus allowing the spring 17 to swing the member 15 against the inner face of the cuff so that the teeth or serrations of the member 15 bearing against one face of the cuff will press the cuff into the teeth or serrations of the other member, thus holding the cuff link against accidental removal and also securing it in position on the cuff.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that although the device consists of few and simple'parts, it will effectively accomplish the desired result and on account of its simplicity can be cheaply manufactured. It will be understood that the jaw can be used in connection with other jewelry than cuff links, although the same is primarily designed for use with cuff links, as shown herein.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

In a button a pair of spaced plates, a shank connecting said plates together, ears formed integral with said shank and one of the plates at their juncture, a stationary seated under the inturned end of said movtoothed jaw carried by the plate With Which able j aw. 1-3 said ears are integrally formed, a movable In testimony whereof I aflix my signature toothed j aW having one end inturned, a pin in presence of tWo Witnesses.

pivotally connecting the remaining end of JOSEPH P. WHITNEY. said movable jaw to said ears, and a spring Witnesses:

having its extremities secured to said ears MICHAEL WHITNEY,

passed around said pin and having a portion ELIZABETH V. WHITNEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Eatents. Washington, D. 0. 

